Met Housing, former director settle

LIMA — A cash settlement has been reached in the lawsuit involving Allen Metropolitan Housing Authority and its former executive director, Cynthia Ring.According to a statement released Friday by Ring's attorney, Ring is dismissing all claims against Met Housing and the president of its board of directors, the Rev. B. Lamont Monford.“Ms. Ring has executed a release of all parties in exchange for the payment of $65,000 to her,” the statement reads. “No other conditions of settlement are involved. Ms. Ring will not be making any other statements.”Contacted by phone Friday, Monford referred questions to Attorney Matt Huffman, who confirmed a settlement had been reached but not finalized. Allen County Court of Common Pleas has not yet dismissed the case.“We won't be ready to discuss the matter until the case has formally ended — which it has not at this time,” Huffman said.If all goes as planned, Met Housing's insurance carrier will pay the $65,000, and then Ring, as plaintiff, or the judge will dismiss the case with prejudice, Huffman said. Neither of those things has happened yet, he added.The board fired Ring in August 2010. Monford called the dismissal “a different direction with leadership” and stressed the longtime director had done nothing illegal.Ring filed suit in November seeking the return of her job, back pay and benefits, legal fees and more than $25,000 in damages. Ring named the housing authority and Monford as defendants.In the lawsuit, Ring alleged the circumstances connected to her termination began a year earlier when she became aware the former assistant director of the agency, Daniel Hughes, was soliciting and accepting gratuities for his church from a third-party vendor for not interfering with the vendor's continued work assignments with the housing authority.Ring said she met with Hughes and Rogers, and told Hughes to report his possible misconduct to the Ohio Ethics Commission, which he did. The agency conducted an investigation of the matter, which Monford said found there was no violation of law.Hughes resigned a few days before Ring's dismissal.Ring said in her lawsuit she had earned praise until she started having problems with Hughes and later with Monford. She accused Monford of being out to get her for investigating employees who allegedly falsified their timecards. Monford has said the board wanted a new direction of leadership.Ring joined the agency in 1977 and had been director since 1994. Board members approved a retire-rehire proposal from Ring on Aug. 31, 2009.You can comment on this story at www.limaohio.com.